Operations Management

1. Choose an organisation you are interested in.
Identify the name of the organisation and its products or services
(5% word count)
2. In the form of a literature review
Explore the subject of sustainability describing initiatives of good practice and organisations who are known to be the exemplary practitioners
Explain the justification for adopting a sustainability strategy. Why is it important to the environment. Why is important to the exemplary organisation?
What are the potential benefits of adoption? What would be the effect of not adopting? (50% word count)

3. Consider your chosen organisation
Select one Sustainability initiative you would like the organisation to adopt.
Describe why you would like to see the organisation adopting that initiative.
Explain what would be the benefits to your chosen organisation of adopting the initiative. What would be the type of costs the organisation would have to meet in order to introduce the initiative.
(30% word count)
4. Looking to the future
Choose one Sustainability initiative that is of interest to you. Give a forecast of how you think it might develop in the future.
(15% word count)

Target word-count 2500 words +/- 10%
It is important that students properly research this assignment and provide accurate and appropriate referencing. As a rough guide, a student should provide a minimum of 6 appropriate references to support the work, the age of the texts should be mainly less than ten years old and the Harvard Referencing style should be used.
Environmentalists tell us we cannot continue to consume resources at the rate we currently do. If BRICS countries develop to consume resources at the same rate as the USA we will need 6 Planet Earths to sustain that life style. This reality is stark. It means we need to change the way we live. Businesses are beginning to wake up to these realities and there are many good case studies that show practical examples of better practice, i.e. more sustainable behaviour. Companies are adopting Sustainability Strategies. Some are calling it Sustainability, some call it Going Green, being Eco-Friendly, the Circular Economy… there are numerous names for this activity.

Your challenge in this assignment is to prepare a Management Briefing Document to educate a sceptical Managing Director (MD). To explain to him/her why his/her company ought to adopt a Sustainability policy/culture and why in the long term his/her company may be better off for doing so.

ASSIGNMENT BRIEF
1. Choose an organisation you are interested in.
Identify the name of the organisation and its products or services
(5% word count)
2. In the form of a literature review
Explore the subject of sustainability describing initiatives of good practice and organisations who are known to be the exemplary practitioners
Explain the justification for adopting a sustainability strategy. Why is it important to the environment. Why is important to the exemplary organisation?
What are the potential benefits of adoption? What would be the effect of not adopting? (50% word count)

3. Consider your chosen organisation
Select one Sustainability initiative you would like the organisation to adopt.
Describe why you would like to see the organisation adopting that initiative.
Explain what would be the benefits to your chosen organisation of adopting the initiative. What would be the type of costs the organisation would have to meet in order to introduce the initiative.
(30% word count)
4. Looking to the future
Choose one Sustainability initiative that is of interest to you. Give a forecast of how you think it might develop in the future.
(15% word count)

Target word-count 2500 words +/- 10%
It is important that students properly research this assignment and provide accurate and appropriate referencing. As a rough guide, a student should provide a minimum of 6 appropriate references to support the work, the age of the texts should be mainly less than ten years old and the Harvard Referencing style should be used.

ASSIGNMENT 2 CHECKLIST
Before you submit your report read it through several times. Use a spell checker and a grammar checker.
Then compare it to this checklist. This is what it will be marked against
Front sheet shows STUDENT NAME and NUMBER
MANAGEMENT BRIEFING REPORT
NAME and DESCRIPTION OF CHOSEN COMPANY - products, services, customers,
LITERATURE REVIEW OF THE TOPIC – review literature on sustainability, identify the good practice, the leading thinkers, What companies use them? What are benefits are available? What are the implications of not adopting them?
APPLICATION TO CHOSEN ORGANISATION-selected initiative, why should they adopt it?, what are the benefits? what type of costs will need to be covered?
SINGLE TOPIC AREA IDENTIFIED- future development predicted
Standard of PRESENTATION and REFERENCING –- report is clearly laid out. A good standard of grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraphs and quotations. Adequate Harvard Referencing style is used.
GRADE CRITERIA
HE Credit level 2 (5)/ HEQF Intermediate Level

An outstanding Distinction A+ 80-100 Work which fulfils all the criteria of the grade below, but at an exceptional standard
A very strong Distinction A 75-79 Work of distinguished quality which is based on a rigorous and detailed knowledge base, including major theories of the discipline(s) and awareness of the variety of ideas, contexts and frameworks and the wider implications. Work will demonstrate sustained ability to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and interpret concepts, principles and data within field of study in a considered manner, as well as to develop authoritative arguments and judgements through application appropriate to the field of study/ assessment task. There will be strong evidence of competence across a range of specialised skills using them to plan and develop and evaluate problems solving strategies, to challenge received opinion and develop own judgements. Clear evidence of capability to operate autonomously with minimal guidance in situations of varying complexity and predictability, but within defined guidelines will be demonstrated. Outputs will be communicated effectively, accurately and reliably.

A clear Distinction A- 70-74 Work of very good quality which displays most but not all of the criteria for the grade above.

A Distinction
B+ 67-69 Work which clearly fulfils the criteria for the grade below, but shows a greater degree of capability in relevant intellectual/subject/key skills.

A very strong Merit

B 63-66 Work of commendable quality based on a strong detailed knowledge base for the field of study, including an assured grasp of concepts, principles and major theories, together with effective deployment of skills relevant to the discipline and assessment task. There will be evidence of considered analysis, synthesis, evaluation and application, and the ability to work effectively with minimum direction to meet defined objectives and develop own judgements. There will be consistent evidence of capability in all relevant subject based and key skills, including the ability to self-evaluate and work autonomously with minimal direction to use effectively a range of techniques in situations of varying complexity and predictability
A strong merit
B- 60-62 Work of good quality which contains most, but not all of the characteristics of the grade above.

A clear Merit C+ 57-59 Work which clearly fulfils all the criteria of the grade below, but shows a greater degree of capability in relevant intellectual/subject/key skills.
A Merit C 53-56 Work of sound quality based on a firm factual/ conceptual knowledge base for the field of study, including a good grasp of relevant theories, together with the ability to organise and communicate effectively. The work may be rather standard and limited in its theoretical grasp, but will be mostly accurate and provide some evidence of the ability to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply standard methods/techniques, with minimal guidance. There will be no serious omissions or inaccuracies. There will be good evidence of ability to take responsibility for own learning, some capability to challenge received opinion and form own judgements. Evidence of the ability to operate with increased autonomy in situations of varying complexity and predictability, selecting and applying appropriate techniques will be demonstrated within limits. There will be competence in relevant key skills.

A very strong Pass C- 50-52 Work of capable quality which contains some of the characteristics of grade above.

A strong pass

D+ 47-49 Work of satisfactory quality demonstrating a reliable knowledge base and evidence of developed key skills and/or subject based skills, but still containing limited evidence of analysis, synthesis, evaluation or application, or of appropriate detail or skill application.

A Pass
D 43-46 Work of broadly satisfactory quality covering adequately the factual and/or conceptual knowledge base of the field of study and some key theories, appropriately presented and organised, but is primarily descriptive or derivative, with only occasional evidence of analysis, synthesis, evaluation or application. There may be some misunderstanding of key concepts/principles/theories and limitations in the ability to select relevant material or techniques and/or in communication or other relevant skills, so that the work may include some errors, omissions or irrelevancies. There will be evidence of ability to operate with some autonomy in predictable contexts, but less evidence of ability to operate in more complex or unpredictable situations. However, there will be evidence of ability to use a variety of standard techniques, and to meet threshold standards in relevant key skills.

A bare Pass D- 40-42 Work of bare pass standard demonstrating some familiarity with and grasp of a factual/conceptual and theoretical knowledge base for the field of study, together with evidence of some ability to employ specialist skills to solve problems within area of study, but only just meeting threshold standards in eg evaluation and interpretation of data and information, reasoning and soundness of judgement, communication, application, or quality of outputs. Work may be characterised by some significant errors, omissions, limitations or problems, but there will be sufficient evidence of development and competence to operate in varied contexts taking responsibility for the nature and quality of outputs.
A marginal Fail F+ 35-39 Work which indicates some evidence of engagement with area of study in relation to acquisition of knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles and theories, and of specialist skills, but which is essentially misinterpreted, misapplied and/or contains some significant omission or misunderstanding, or otherwise just fails to meet threshold standards in eg communication, application or quality of outputs.

A Fail F 20-34 Work that falls well short of the threshold standards in relation to one or more of knowledge, intellectual, subject based or key skills. It may address the assessment task to some extent, or include evidence of successful engagement with some of the subject matter, but such satisfactory characteristics will be clearly outweighed by major deficiencies across remaining areas.

A comprehensive Fail F- 5-19 Work of poor quality which is based on only minimal understanding, application or effort. It will offer only very limited evidence of familiarity with knowledge or skills appropriate to the field of study or task and/or demonstrate inadequate capability in key skills essential to the task concerned

Non-submission/Nil attempt G 0-4 Nothing presented.